unwanted help
by yamifannetje
Summary: Do or don't vampires get ill? What if they do? And what if you are only a half vampire and not allowed to help?
1. Chapter 1

Darren returned to Evra's tent after a busy day. It had been a very good day. There had been very much attention for the show. Mr Crepsley had allowed Darren to do a great deal of the act again and he had done so with everything he had. Before the show, as always there had been the usual chores to do too. When Evra came in, Darren turned on his side into his hammock. He doubted Evra would buy it but he really wasn't up for a talk or a tickle fight or something. It had been a tough day and the next evening Mr Crepsley would await him for another training session. He better used all the time he could spare to sleep. Or at least to rest.

He noticed Evra walking around the tent, doing stuff and just when he thought he wouldn't bother to look at him, he heard Evra's steps coming nearer to his part of the tent. He kept silent.

"Darren?"

Darren frowned at the slightly worried undertone in his friends voice. He considered it a bit harsh to ignore Evra since he took it his friend knew he was awake. He turned around.

"Hey there." he said with a sheepish smile.

"Hello. Did I wake you?"

"No. " Darren sat up. "Just resting."

Evra smiled. "I take it you are not up to helping me, then?"

"Helping?"

Evra waved towards the cushons where his snake had apparently curled up. "I have the feeling she hasn't been completly well and I'd liked to give her a nice bath."

Darren sighed. He had helped more than once with bathing that snake. He was used to touching it and the animal seemed to have accepted him but he felt more like sleeping for the moment. Maybe Mr Crepsley's blood was beginning to take his toll on him. He sneaked a short look through the tent entrance and saw that it wouldn't be long before dawn.

"I take it it can't wait a couple of hours?"

Evra followed Darren's gaze to the tent entrance and smiled again. "Never mind. I'll manage."

Darren felt guilty to let his friend down. He turned around again to not have to watch his friend doing all the work on his own. It didn't take long for sleep to claim him but he was disturbed out of his slumber by the sound of someone coughing. He opened his eyes, feeling irritated. He looked at Evra and the snake, but it had sounded too human to have come from the possibly ill animal. Evra was looking at the tent entrance again and their eyes met.

The coughing was followed by a curse. Both boys looked up at the voice which spoke next: "No, Harkat. I will not have Darren to know."

However hoarse, Darren recognised the voice of his mentor.

"Really Larten, grow up." came the voice of Truska. Darren could practically see the face of his mentor when the vampire groaned. "Having her knowing is the very last thing I need."

"I heard that, Larten." Truska said. "You think Darren wont know when he hears you coughing like that? On this moment he's like, I dont know, three feet away?"

Larten growled. "He's still under the impression vampires don't get ill easily. All I need is a good day of sleep and some blood. Besides, Darren must be asleep by now."

Darren could imagine Truska's sceptical look. She cared about Mr Crepsley very dearly. If he had gotten ill in some way, she wouldn't be off his back before he was well again. And judging that cough of his, he wasn't exactly well now.

Darren turned to Evra who was still onto washing his snake. When Crepsley started to cough again he turned to Darren. Darren had to supress the urge to run outside, the uneasy feeling in his stomach growing.

"Larten, please." Truska sounded sincerely worried now. "You should really take care of that."

Harkat added something in agreement that Darren and Evra couldn't understand.

"All right. You are right." Mr Crepsley finally gave in. "I have no choice anyway if I want this to be over for Darren learns."

"Now we're talking. Harkat and I will cover for you. And I am sure Evra will take care of Darren."

"Don't count on it." Mr Crepsley mumbled, but the hoarseness of his voice destroyed any impact the words could possibly have.

"Indeed, you better don't." Darren muttered, looking dangerously at Evra.

The snakeboy lifted his arms in the air. "Leave me out of it."

Darren huffed. He was not letting Mr Crepsley to shut him out. He could understand his mentor didn't want everyone to know and fussing around when he was ill. At least, he had his reputation to be the strong and unmovable vampire he gave the general appearance to be. Darren smiled inwardly. Afyter all, he would act the same way, if he was ill. But as assistant, it was to him to correct his master when he act wrongly. And Mr Crepsley should concentrate on doing whatever he deemed best to get better and instead of hiding his condition.

As if he had read Darren's thoughts, Evra stated: "He probably just caught a cold or something."

Darren looked at him and Evra again made a gesture of surrender. "Could be."

"Vampires don't catch colds."

"And who says that? Writers of vampire books? How should they know? In their eyes, you vampires are just an invention of fantasy. And to make their villains, or heroes, more impressive, they make them invulnerable. Didn't Crepsley tell you your race is quite different from what humans make of it?"

"Mr Crepsley told me himself. " Darren said stubbornly.

"He wants being a vampire to seem better than it is."

Darren glared at him.

"I'm sorry Darren. But let us look at it objectively. Crepsley knows you are still angry at him for turning you into a vampire. No, don't deny it. You are. Even if you do not longer want to kill him for it. He's not stupid. And as difficult as it is for you to believe, he's not a cruel, unsensitive being without a conscience."

Darren wanted to interrupt Evra but his friend lifted his hand. "Let me finish this, please. You were, and still are angry with him . And unhappy."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"And so he wants to spare you, in his own way. Maybe he wants to let you believe that as a half-vampire, you are stronger and your body has a much stronger resistance than it had when completely human."

"I am. However, at this moment I might be happier with a chance to die rather sooner than later, not one to survival."

"That's not true and you know it.

Evra was right. He knew it. He had started to accept and even like his life as a vampire, in spite he still missed his family. But he loved being at the Cirque and being around his friends. And even more so for having Mr Crepsley around. Hearing him to be ill disturbed him and not only because he had thought vampires didn't get ill.

"I'm sure it will not come as far as that, Darren." Evra said softly. "You heard what Crepsley said. A day of sleep and a portion of bood and before you know it, he will be torturing you again on training."

Darren laughed. He would give much to skip a training but even on his dying day, Crepsley wouldn't stop for a moment.

Evra had returned to his snake, who he started to dry and Darren hadn't been surprised if he had started to sing a lullaby for it. If he did, however, Darren didn't hear it anymore.

**To be continued** \- I hope you had a nice time reading. Please, review. Thank you! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Some days passed by without Darren acting. Truska was true to her word. There was not one moment Darren got the chance to go and check upon his mentor. Clearly most of the other members of the Cirque were in to it too, for whatever he did, for whoever, he was kept busy from morning to evening with the solid promise of more work the other day, which was as good as saying: "You better go to sleep, immediately."

Evra was not in it, as far as Darren dared to judge. But one never knew.

At the evening of the third day, Darren finanly came to action. He waited for his mentor or someone else to get him to come to Mr Crepsley's van but none came. At midnight, Darren left Evra's tent and went to the van himself. There was no movement inside yet, which was strange for it was hours after sunset already.

What Darren didn't know was Mr Tall was still awake. In his own tent, the Cirque Director sat in a chair and followed every thought of the youngest member of the crew. A smile crept over the man's face when he meant to recognise irritation into the boy. He wasn't going to meddle between the vampires. Larten would have to screw up his courage on his own to lay down his pride and to face Darren.

Darren stood before the van, unsure what to do. He could go in but something told him that wouldn't be appreciated, even if there was nothing that has to be hidden from him. Returning to Evra's tent and letting things the way they were, wasn't an option either for he wouldn't been able to sleep anymore before he knew what was going on.

Finally he took the decision to go in. But when he wanted to push the handle of the door, he was kept back. The door didn't move an inch. Darren glared at the door and slapped it.

"Don't do that!"

Darren jumped and whirled around. It had been no more than a whisper but as his slapping on the door the words soudned hellish in the silent darkness. Evra appeared behind him.

"Idiot! You scared me out of my skin."

"You have a bad conscience."

"No I don't."

"Are you out of your mind? Breaking in to Mr Crepsley's van while he might be awake whereas you know he wants you to leave him alone! You must be suicidal. Especially when you wake him up banging on the door like that."

"I might." It sounded rather indifferently.

Evra became agitated. Or at least that was the impression Darren got from his voice and his fastening breathing.

"You don't have to come with me." he stated.

"Hell, I shouldn't be here at all." Evra countered.

"But you are. I suppose because you want to stop me from making a big mistake and letting Crepsley destroying the whole place.

"Something like that, yes."

Evra sighed. He understood this wasn't going to work.

"At least be careful." he urged. "As you say, no one knows what he 's capable of in a fit of rage, especially when he is ill."

"Vampires don't get ill. Surely not vampire's the likes of him."

"How can you be sure? You don't know what he was like in his former days, both as a human and a vampire."

Darren nodded impatiently.

"Ok, all wisdom aside, are we going in or not?"

"Oh, you are going in, I'm sure. But count me out."

"All right. You're right. You don't have to do this."

"I'll be right here outside."

Mr Tall was highly amused rather than upset when he felt Darrens growing excitement.

Darren put his ear against the van to make sure there was no movement inside.

Mr Tall in the meantime was doing the same thing mentally. He felt Larten's mind. It was awake, mulling over things but at the same time it seemed to be... hazy. Far away.

Darren closed his eyes and let his other senses take over. He scanned the air for strange odeurs. Smells that shouldn't be here. There weren't.

"Darren."

Evra was motioning to the little window, locked with a curtain. The curtain was raped or so it seemed and at a closer look Darren saw the glass was broken. Darren frowned. It didn't seem like Crepsley at all to let such damage unrepaired. Especially since the glass locked out warmth and light. Or was he so ill he had never bothered? No, he had been well enough the other night. But what was going on, then? If he could only see him, talk to him. It was clear Crepsley didn't want him to see him else he wouldn't avoid him like this.

Darren peered through the window. It was dark inside. His vampire eyes were strong enough however to make out the form of the object that was lying on the floor: a wooden stake.

Darren stumbled back, terrified. Evra ran towards him, just in time to support him. "What is it? he asked. "What did you see?"

Darren couldn't answer. His heart was racing and he was panting. The only thing he could say was: "He isn't there."

Mr Tall felt the terror in Darren's mind and heart. He understood Darren's words.

"Larten, what have you done?"

**To be continued - Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

They were all wrong, though.

The object Darren had spotted while peering in through the window was a stake alright, but used on the show the previous evening. The question what the stake-like object was doing in the van of the vampire was easily answered by Truska and Harkat who had been busy cleaning up after the show when they had first noticed Larten's illness had been bothering the vampire to go to sleep. Of course it had almost come to an argument and in the commotion Truska had left the stake.

Reassured by this explanation, Darren calmed down immediately. Together with Truska, Harkat, Mr Tall and Evra he sat in Mr Tall's tent. Truska was handing out cups of hot chocolat, which were gratefully accepted by everyone.

Darren took a sip. "I really thought vampires didn't get ill." It bothered him Mr Crepsley had lied to him about that.

"They are immune for most human illnesses." Mr Tall agreed "But there are certain things even vampires are perceptible for. Mostly it is called the vampire flu. It is rare, but it exists." He smiled suddenly and added: "It's typical for Larten though to be one of the vampires unlucky enough to attract some symptoms. Twice."

"Twice?" Darren looked up from his choclat. He had been staring into it without drinking. He was tired and almost regretted rising.

Mr Tall nodded. I only heard flards from him and later from Seba, who I didn't see for a while now." Darren expected the director to wander off on the subject of Seba. He finally took a sip of his chocolat. It tasted good.

"Vampire...flu... you... said?" Harkat spoke up.

"You think of contamination."

Harkat nodded.

"I don't think there is immediate danger. Except for you, Darren."

Darren wanted to ask what he meant but stopped himself in time. The vampire flu must be an illness that only got to vampires so humans and Little People were not likely to attract the illness.

Nice. Not only wouldn't his mentor let him or anyone else help him, now he would be forbidden to even come near him.

"That seems the best thing to do for now." Mr Tall answered this out loud.

Truska filled her cup anew with chocolat and after asking the others, she sat down again in the couch she had claimed.

"As for the shows, are there great changes in the schedules?" she asked.

"The shows? I thought there wouldn't be any shows in the near future." Darren remarked.

"You are right, Darren. There wont be for another two or three weeks. But Larten will be out for a longer time."

Darren felt a bit uneasy. The flu was a persisting illness, he knew that out of experience, but more than three weeks? Mr Crepsley was a vampire, and a strong and fierce one at that. Vampire flu must be something severe or else it wouldn't be able to get through the immunity systems of the creatures of the night but three weeks seems longer.

"If he has indeed a bout of flu." Truska mused.

"I'm quite sure he does." Truska said.

Mr Tall ignored that and turned to Darren. "Did he fed recently?"

Darren felt stupid he hadn't thought about that possibility himself earlier. But it didn't matter. Mr Crepsley had drunk blood two nights ago.

"Than it's almost certain he got the flu. Darren, I ask you again not to go near him if not absolutely necessary. You can call for me if Larten proves insisting or tell him I told you to stay away from him for the time being. As for the rest of you, if you start to feel unwell after being around him, report to me immediately. I will not have an epidemic here if I can avoid it."

Truska, knowing that he had been talking to her mostly, nodded and stood up, taking the chocolat with her.

"You may leave that here, if you don't mind." Mr Tall said. He emptied his cup and reached it towards her. Truska refilled it and left with Evra, Harkat and Darren at her heels.

When they were gone, Mr Tall opened his mind to find Larten's. The vampire was asleep, as he expected, but his sleep was troubled. By fever dreams, the director guessed. The flu was worsening already.


	4. Chapter 4

Darren sat in the tent of Mr Tall opposite Seba, Mr Crepsley's old mentor. Mr Tall sat in one of the chairs and Seba had taken the other. Darren sat on the ground.

"Do I really have to go?" Darren asked. He hoped it didn't sound to desperately.

Mr Tall smiled but Seba nodded firmly. "I am afraid you do." he said. "I need to see Larten. There's something amiss and I'd rather have you out of the way. Forgive me my harshness, young Master Shan." he added when he noticed Darren's face. "I will not keep this from you since it is all about you, in fact, but you have to promise me that you will only listen."

Darren nodded. He knew Seba enough to know that he meant it realy seriously.

"Alright. The point of the story is that there are rumors for you to be un-blooded."

"Un-blooded?" Darren stared at Seba with great eyes. He looked at Mr Tall, who also seemed to be surprised.

"Let me continue, please. There has been many unrest lately since the death of some unfortunate, young vampires. Friends of them keep saying that they were ill ever since they were blooded. They turned against their makers and moved many others to their case. The Princes tried to calm it down but finally their resistance was broken and two of them gave in already to a new law: Vampires who have been ill - rare as it is - are forbidden to ever blood anyone."

Seba didn't need to go on. Darren understood perfectly where this was leading to.

"I don't know whether Larten told you but he has had the vampire flu and a very bad case of it. It might have killed him if certain circumstances had been different from what they were. The vampire flu is a stubborn, terrible disease and is due to return once a vampire ever attracts it. Who first took it up I can not say, but the fact that you are only a half vampire, makes you a special case for Larten's blood makes you vulnerable for the disease but since you have only half of the dose you should have, you might not be strong enough to survive should the disease strike. Even full vampires dy of it."

Darren saw his suspicions grew more and more real. He thought it stupid. If they indeed want to stop an epidemic outburst of the vampire flu amongst young vampires, they should focus on making everyone aware of his or her health before blooding. What use was there in unblooding vampires but killing them? Unless...  
At the same moment another thought struck him. Seba's turning up here just now was to understand if he was worried about Larten and Darren but this whole thing about unblooding made Darren believe instantly that the old vampire had come here with other intensions than offering concern and protection.

"You are not going to unblood Mr Crepsley, are you?" he asked boldly.

Seba and Mr Tall exchanged glances and to Darrens mild amazement, they laughed.

"I should have known you should come with a question like that." Seba said, becoming serious again. "But I would not risk exchanging blood with Larten again while he's so ill. He can be reassured, I myself never got the vampire flu. My blood was safe when I blooded him. No, like I said, I am here because of you."

"To unblood me."

"If necessary. But no, I had something else in mind. An...experiment." Seba looked at Mr Tall again. "I was half planning on blooding you again."

"To raise me to a full vampire. That's nothing special. Mr Crepsley will do that sooner or later, anyway."

"Agreed, but what I mean is to blood you completely."

Darren stared at him."So you WILL unblood me."

"In a way, yes. I want to try to remove the so-called bad blood and replace it with mine before youa re summoned to be tested. With Larten the way he is now, that wont even be necessary to convince any vampire you received 'bad blood'"

Darren moved backwards. He couldn't do that. He wouldn't let another vampire replace his mentor's blood in his veins. It would be outright treason. After a short silence he muttered: "I have to think about this."

"Of course you do." Seba said. "I am in no hurry. Take your time."

Darren almost ran out of the tent and back to Evra's. He heard Mr Tall's 'He will never do it willingly, I fear." and Seba's answer: "That's why I need to talk to Larten. He might be the only one who could make Darren cooperate."

What Darren only heard as a far away noise was the next phrase spoken by Mr Tall: "Honestly, I fear Larten might the one to be convinced."

Darren was still running. He couldn't. He should, he knew. But he couldn't. He couldn't. It kept repeating in his head. _I can't._

And when Evra asked what was wrong after his friend came in and sat down on the carpet and put his head in his hands, he said it out loud: I can't.

Evra gave him a couple of moments before he asked: "You can't what?"

"I can't betray Mr Crepsley. I cannot give away his blood."


End file.
